Awaken, Lonely Rebel
by My Silver Wound
Summary: [Hiatus] He could've saved her, but he didn't. Now, she is little more than cold stone. His past now thrives within the fire in his eyes and in his heart. He shall be ruled no more.. Title may Change Consists of random theories


"You were the best friend I've ever had."

That was the last thing said before he left. She shouted, screaming for mercy from the liquid flames rising, bounding toward her as though it was a cougar, leaping strongly and gracefully from rock to rock. There was a bright flash of light, and everything turned to cold hues of black and gray.

* * *

The dust settled. A lone figure stood, merely watching her sacrifice. Yes, he could have prevented this. Yes, he could've stopped the magma. And yes, he could've saved her. But why get his hands dirty? Though his hands now remained drenched in her blood, dripping with a warm sticky red of which was her life, he just stood, propped against the wall, leaning comfortably enough, and head turned. Watching her. He knew every mistake he'd made. If only he could change it. Another mistake he had just made...He let her die...How could he? She was his daughter, sworn to him forever, and he wouldn't save her. She'd sworn to serve him...forever. And he couldn't even spare her another chance.  
All of this—it was his fault. He shouldn't have been so demanding, so unforgiving, so uncaring, so unmerciful. He shouldn't have bribed her, telling her exactly what she wanted to hear. He shouldn't have taken advantage of her vulnerability, her rage, and her fear. She was afraid of them and of the world that had so coldly cast her out and refused to show the slightest imprint of hospitality.

The warm tenderness of her smooth, sunkissed face and the softness of her pale, blue eyes had been hardened to a cold stone that was slowly whittled away as he shouted orders at her. Her once joyful, carefree, and hyper expression was gone. No emotion was ever expressed by a blushing giggle, or a depressed sniffle, or a wrinkle of her nose as she laughed among her only friends. No laughs, no tears, no emotion remaining within the clutches of her thoughts survived his brutality.

She was silenced forever. A mere statue she stood, watching over the cavern she had been silenced within. Perched with her arms spread as though a friendly gargoyle, she welcomed him to weep in her arms until his death.

But he couldn't go to her. He couldn't bear to see her standing as what he himself had turned her into: a mere slate of cold stone. He had ruled her with an iron fist. She had attempted to fulfill his command, had failed, and wasn't given another chance, even though she disserved one, and he knew it. He should have given her another chance. But he didn't, because that wasn't what he was taught.

* * *

It had been a long time ago, when he was a teen—a titan—but he remembered. Despite his efforts to forget, he couldn't help but to remember her—the man who had made him this way, and the warm tickle of love as it danced into his heart.

Her name was Soul—a name that seemed to be chosen by the angels who carved her perfect face. They had loved each other secretly for some time. He had started to tell her many a time, but every time he lost his nerve when he wondered what her response would be. Would she cry, and love him back? Would she point and mock him? Would she laugh at the very notion? Would she even _care?_

Finally, however, he did reveal it to her. An awkward silence had hovered over them, and she seemed speechless. She had smiled her soft goddess smile and embraced him. She loved him too. And that was all he had needed. To know she loved him too.

* * *

Many years had come to pass since then. Before he realized the reality of his mistake…what Dirk could really do—what he had already done. Love still toyed with his mind and tinkered with his heart. Soul and he had fallen in love, and so they were wed. Soon after a daughter was born. They named her Terra—daughter of the Earth goddess; tender as new spring leaves; strong as the earth itself…

It was then that Dirk took it away. He killed them…they were the only things left since Dirk had forced apprenticeship upon him. The rest of his friends wouldn't trust him—they _couldn't_, they had said. Too much had changed…

And so it was. Soul had trusted him—the only one who believed the truth. She was all that was left of his life. And he killed her. Terra had vanished. She had supposedly been eliminated along with her mother. And he had seen Soul screaming…falling, bleeding as she called his name...

* * *

All of this he remembered all too well. He thought as he stood, propped against the wall, leaning comfortably enough, and head turned. Watching her. He knew every mistake he'd made. If only he could change it. If only he could throw his arms around her, weeping with joy, loving her as he had done all those years ago. But now, in the faint glowing light that dared to venture into the bleak cavern, he knew there was nothing he could do. Nothing, but weep.

And so he did. Silently he wept for her, and for himself. He tried to block out the past, everything before his life was ruined. Before Dirk had destroyed his Soul. If only he could die…

But he couldn't. He would never die. Though he pretended to be dead, the true being that he once was still lingered within him, hiding away somewhere in the back of his mind. Dirk would never let it die.

And neither would he. Not until Dirk was gone—dead. Dead as the cold stone that his bloody face would rest upon as he fell, defeated. Dead as the bitter January breeze that whisked through the trees outside the cavern. Dead…as his Soul.

Author's Note: Okay, I wasn't going to even post this, but everyone seemed to like the idea of it so…here goes nothing! I kinda accidentally made a fic…oopsie? The plot is going to be…not really involving the Titans too much. I might change the title to Rebellion, and make it a separate story. The whole flashback thing is Slade's "past" so to speak. It's probably waaaay off. I don't care. My sister and I brainstormed his past (the majority of it was her). Yes I truly believe Terra is Slade's daughter. But don't take my word for it—this is coming from the weirdo who is truly convinced that Red X is actually Speedy (after studying Winner Take All and X for weeks (this was before Titans East), of course :P) LPL Tina


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